
Published 18 September 2026
Becky Lyon
As appliances become uniformly efficient, enjoyment becomes the new differentiator. Luxurious finishes, joyful colour and elevated entertainment formats reframe the home as a space for pleasure, hosting, and peaceful productivity. AI, automation and robotics on show at IFA 2026 (Berlin, September 4-8) will accelerate this shift – optimising housework while unlocking richer, more expressive ways of living. See also IFA 2026, Part 1: The Adaptive Home.
Consumer attention turns towards expression as well as efficiency, prompting brands to elevate both colour and craft. From premium-looking appliances and luxe kitchens to joyful palettes and atmospheric neutrals, designs pair optimisation with personality. Leaning into mood-boosting cues and designed to be on show, new electronics look as good as they perform.
Consumer attention turns towards expression as well as efficiency, prompting brands to elevate both colour and craft. From premium-looking appliances and luxe kitchens to joyful palettes and atmospheric neutrals, designs pair optimisation with personality. Leaning into mood-boosting cues and designed to be on show, new electronics look as good as they perform.
Homes designed for longer, richer living demand appliances that quietly elevate everyday comfort. Brands are engineering calmer, faster, and more spacious solutions – from whisper‑quiet performance and rapid‑turnaround cooking to cleverly expanded interiors. The focus is shifting towards small, high‑impact upgrades that streamline hosting, reduce friction, and make simple pleasures feel effortlessly premium.
Consumers are shaping entire environments around entertainment, driving a new wave of AI‑powered audiovisual design. Gaming‑specific displays, premium audio collaborations and mood‑responsive lighting signal how residential AV is becoming more immersive, atmospheric, and deeply personalised. Here, brands showed room‑defining technologies that heighten gameplay, elevate listening, and transform light into an emotional wellbeing tool.
Smart tech is reshaping home working with tools that boost user agency, minimise friction, and adapt to shifting workstyles. AI‑driven assistants, distraction‑reducing formats and flexible foldable screens make productivity more intuitive, inclusive and playful – enabling faster actions, calmer focus, and workspaces that expand or simplify on demand.



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At IFA 2026 (Berlin, September 4-8), artificial intelligence (AI), automation and robotics drove a new era of responsive, self‑sufficient living, helping consumers adapt to tighter resources and shifting domestic demands. Electronics are removing friction and delivering...